Parliament building in Kabul attacked by suicide bomber, gunmen

Authorities in Afghanistan say a Taliban suicide bomber set off an explosion at the entrance to the parliament building in Kabul on Monday, while gunmen who attempted to storm the compound battled with police.

Inside the parliament, lawmakers were meeting to confirm the appointment of a defense minister, police said. Unable to make it inside, the gunmen made their way to a building under construction, which is now surrounded by police, The Associated Press reports. Jennifer Glasse with Al Jazeera was watching parliamentary proceedings on television when the camera began to shake. "We heard two loud explosions and people nearby heard gunfire," she said.

UPDATE: Police say they have killed all six or seven Taliban gunmen, and that 18 civilians — including two women and two children — were injured in the attack.

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Earlier, the Taliban captured a second district in the Kunduz province after fighting with local security forces. The head of the provincial council, Mohammad Yusuf Ayubi, said the local forces suffered casualties, and about 150,000 residents were unable to leave the area. You can watch raw footage of the Kabul parliament attack below. Catherine Garcia